cats up to no good

[winterbadger]

The kittens (and I suspect Nicholas in particular) get bored of sleeping, watching wildlife, and chasing/wrestling with each . And then bad things happen. Nick doesn't like that he can't go upstairs much anymore, so he's tearing up the (brand new) carpeting by the inter-apartmental door (I wish the morons who had put it in had put down a treader or a flange or whatever you call those things--now I'm going to have to--instead of just butting it to the threshold).

Nick's also figured out how to open all the cupboards and drawers in the kitchen and bathroom and climb in and out. Which is cute right now, but when there are pots and pans in the kitchen drawers that I don't really want to have to rewash every time someone who's just been in the litter box climbs on them, it will be less cute.

I may have to stop putting things on the shelves by the kitchen door; he knocks things off there, and knocked a bottle of Kaluha off the counter reaching for the shelves. The *cap* broke, but not the bottle (small mercies...); not much spilled.

Best (?) of all was when I stumbled into the kitchen one morning after they'd all gotten me up to feed them. I groggily thought "I didn't leave a light on did I?" and then saw that the *fridge* was open. I think I hadn't fully closed it the night before, but if they can open it when fully closed we have big problems (not least of which would be a cat getting shut in the fridge by accident--Nick loves climbing in there...)

And there's the fighting, and the waking me up on *their* schedule (I actually shut them all out of the bedroom this morning, and they took it pretty well), the knocking over anything moveable (piles of books and papers, chess pieces). I daren't leave games set up. They pick up game figures and carry them around (someone hid a 15mm English Civil War musketeer for months).

But whenever I'm sick (like last weekend) they instantly switch into "look after the human mode". And they're frequently affectionate (even GIlbert, Mr Grumpy, has been almost friendly lately). And they're so damn cute...

Comments

[flyingwolf.livejournal.com]

Are they really still kittens? If so, there’s some hope that they’ll calm down some. If not, you're doomed.

My brother-in-law once locked a kitten in the fridge. Luckily not for long, but is a very scary thought. It was at a time when they had 13, (at least) cats in their tiny appartment… having just taken in two pregnant strays a short time before. So while trying to keep some out one snuck in unnoticed.

flyingwolf "oh my god - how COULD you?!?"
Nitro: "FW, they were EVERYWHERE"
(poor Nitro - he felt so awful about it. The kitten of course, was fine.)

Re:

[winterbadger]

They only *act* like kittens; they're about 18 months, and small for their age, whereas the other cats in the house are between 6 and 12 and most of them large. So the "kittens" keep seming like kittens.

And they have calmed down some. And they have each other to race around after and fight with. They got banished to live with me (as did Gilbert the 12 yo, eventually) because Nicco likes beating up on Loki, Melissa's cat (M being Chris's new partner, who is living upstairs with her).

bored?!

[chessie-cat.livejournal.com]

I NEVER get bored! So much to do. So many birdies to watch. Mice to toss. Toys to dunk in water. Wheee. And then my human comes home and plays with me (though not nearly enough!) But even when she's being boring I can find something to play with on my own.

Re: bored?!

[winterbadger]

Chessie, you remind me of my old cat, Sullivan, who for hours used to chase crumpled-up paper balls, bring them back to me, and wait for me to throw them again. When he got tired, he's drop them in his water dish, to signify that *that* paper ball wouldn't be going anywhere. He also used to hide them (undunked) in shoes...